Asteroid City

9/10

During the 1950's or 60's, a group of people assemble at the titular Asteroid City, a very small desert tourist trap with a motel out in the middle of nowhere, for the Junior Stargazer convention. Soon everyone is affected by a strange change in events.

Wes Anderson is known for utilizing the same distinct style in all his films. (This movie in particular recycles his "precocious kids" dialogue from Moonrise Kingdom.) But, he's never gotten old for me, because the plots for his story are always different enough. This is no exception. Asteroid City is a very interesting film complete with a wide cast of striking characters , solid jokes (i laughed thrice, which doesn't sound a lot for some but for me it's a lot), and an intelligent script that hides beneath the humorous moments drama and an analysis of the human condition. 

The trailer for this is surprisingly deceptive. There's a lot more to the movie than meets the eye. Asteroid City is probably Anderson's most artsy and philosophical film and that's saying something. A person in the theater said "I don't know what it means, but I loved it." That's a pretty good summation. I wouldn't say you won't understand any of it, but it is a movie that requires interpretation, and there's enough witty dialogue that you won't be drowning in it anyway. The movie's weird but in a fun way.  

Like the majority of Anderson's movies, this is a visual smorgasboard. The cinematography and color scheme is made to make this look like a technicolor movie, maybe one of the best uses of color in film this year. I loved the orange-ish look of the desert. The sets have that unique retro feel Anderson brings. I also loved the look of the desert rocks. Asteroid City takes place in the U.S.A., but the location feels a little alien.

Anderson has a wonderful cast that's a who's who of acting including some of his regular players. Some of the new faces who he's never used before are Scarlett Johanson, Tom Hanks, and Steve Carrel, all of whom are obvious choices for this type of movie. Carrel in particular does a great job as the always civil and courteous motel owner. A face I wouldn't expect in this is Liev Schreiber as a parent of one of the Junior Stargazers. He doesn't usually get cast in stuff like this, making this a nice change of pace. Crash's Matt Dillon is also in this. He's only got one important scene, but he has such excellent delivery. 

Highly recommend. The story may frustrate some, but it's such an enjoyable ride. This may be my favorite of Anderson's works after Grand Budapest Hotel.

Fatman

 

9/10

In Fatman, we get a sort of semi-grounded and semi-realistic take on Santa Claus (played by Mel Gibson), in which he has become grumpy and is losing his faith in humanity. Meanwhile, a particularly nasty child (played by Good Boys' Chance Hurstfield) has hired a hitman (Walton Goggins) because he got coal in his stocking. This is one of the most original films I've seen in a while. 

What's so remarkable about Fatman is that it's able to balance dark comedy and human drama in a story about Santa Claus. The whole thing weirdly manages to fit Chris as he's called in this into the real world. Instead of a traditional, classic Santa's workshop and village we get a farm with a factory that looks like an actual factory. Directors and screenwriters Eshom and Ian Nelms do an excellent job of directing. The majority of Fatman is the buildup to the hit on Santa. The movie is rife with exposition and characterization, but I never got bored because the directors do such a great job of pacing everything and switching between the various cast members. It doesn't hurt that the dialogue is great.

Great cast across the board. Mel Gibson does an excellent job portraying an Old Man Logan/Wolverine style of Santa. He manages to still imbue the traditional aspect of Santa's generosity toward his fellow man beneath his tired exterior. (I'm complimenting the performance, not the person). However, it is Goggins who steals the show. His hitman (referred to as Skinny Man in the credits) is a wonderful combo of quirkiness, charisma, intelligence, and cold-blooded efficiency. The movie is almost as much his as it is Santa's. 

This was clearly filmed on a budget, but the Nelms did a great job with what they had. A lot of the locations they picked looked pretty good, and they did a surprisingly good job of the more fantastical elements of Santa. (No reindeer, though, sorry.)

I highly recommend this unless you're not a fan of R rated films in general. (Yeah, in case the hitman didn't tip you off, this isn't your traditional Christmas family fare.) If you're looking for something else, than this is for you. It's just a hell of a well made film. 

Cobra Kai- Season 3

 

9/10

Season 3 has the cast all trying to pick up their lives after the momentous events of the last season's finale. I'm happy to say that the show remains great. 

You get the same effective mix of karate, comedy, and pulpy character drama. The characters' storylines are more segmented, which I felt helped. There are more events going, plus the show avoids focusing too hard on and dragging out plot points. The over-the-top teenage drama works a lot better here than last season because it's use feels more economical. Though, I admit that not every part has a chance to breathe. (Budding psychotic karate girl Tory Nichols (Peyton List) feels particularly underused). 

Johnny Lawrence (played by William Zabka) remains the core of the story and its main draw. However, I felt Daniel LaRusso, who's always been the secondary protagonist, was given a lot better material this season, including what is his best and most emotional scene in the show. What helps this season is that it's slowed down Johnny and Daniel's rivalry, which admittedly was the original drive of the show, but you can only extend reasons for them disliking each other for so long. This gives the guys more time for their own stories and actual growth.

This season, evil karate sensei John Kreese (Martin Kove) is written better and bear in mind that I rather liked him last season.  He takes center stage, having gotten what he wants and no longer having to be subtle, and he is a wonder to watch. The man is just fascinatingly horrible and manipulative, especially how he's obsessed over something as small picture as teaching teenagers karate. Yet, this season manages to make you understand where he's coming from and how someone so twisted is the hero in his own story. This is basically Kreese Begins as we learn about his time in Vietnam, and the backstory is effective. Kove, WHO IS IN HIS 70'S!, still does a great job of being intimidating.

Stingray, the man-child, one adult student in Cobra Kai, and the biggest mistake of season 2, is gratefully cut. The guy was just too comical as compared to everyone else and his presence always felt forced. Unfortunately, Aisha (Nichole Brown) is cut this season because the writers were having trouble fitting her in. This is too bad since she was one of the more prominent Cobra Kai members. On the plus side, this season does manage to bring back some recurring characters they didn't have time for last season. 

If there is any major issue, it is the same one that has popped up before, but is far, FAR more prevalent here: the fact that no one ever calls the cops for very obvious crimes. I mean the show has always suspended belief, but belief is in a coma because it got hit over the head one too many times. (The show does do a good job of showing actual and logical consequences for the fallout of last season.)

Overall, another great season. I'd ranked it below season 1 and above season 2.

Palm Springs

8/10

In the dramedy Palm Springs, curently on Hulu, a couple people (SNL/Brooklyn 99's Andy Samberg and Cristin Miloti) at a wedding find themselves in a time loop. This is pretty darn good.

Yeah, time loops have been done before: the original Groundhog's Day and the more recent Happy Death Day. Still, Palm Springs manages to carve out its own place with a pretty well-written story. Its narrative and dispersal of info. is done in an interesting way that is different from the other films. It helps that instead of one protagonist experiencing one day over and over we get two people. (This has been done in shows like Stargate but not film.) The interactions between two characters with different viewpoints on a fascinating but awful situation really help drive this.

The whole thing is pretty funny, too. Yeah, there are the obligatory jokes you'll find like they had in Groundhog's Day where the characters have fun with their situation or get darkly humorous at their low-points, but they are good jokes and there is one particular recurring bit in this that hasn't been done before that's really amusing. The more serious parts of dialogue between the characters are well written, too.

Samberg and Miloti are great leads. This is my first time seeing Samberg doing something not entirely comedy, and he's great at it. Miloti is also wonderful. She's one of those those actresses who definitely gets work, but not as much as they may deserve. I really hope this film helps her career and gets her more leads. The supporting cast is solid across the board, especially J.K. Simmons who dominates every scene he is in.

I highly recommend this. The framework may be obvious, but the actual components are both funny and compelling.